WhatsApp copies Snapchat

There’s a saying that goes “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” but Snapchat may not be feeling all too flattered after another blatant move to copy one of the app’s more popular features.

The feature, Snapchat Stories — a public compilation of snaps from a user’s day.

The culprit, Facebook. Yep, following Snapchat Stories clones finding their way to Instagram and Messenger (both Facebook properties), the world’s largest social network is bringing Snapchat’s bread and butter over to WhatsApp.

That’s some fine kage bunshin no jutsu work by Facebook. ?

Whatsapp Status

The WhatsApp Status will appear in a new tab on the app.

Using the feature is a lot like Snapchat. Simply fire up the in-app camera then take a photo or video. You can then add text, drawings, and emojis. The photo or video appears on the new status tab and is visible to your contacts for 24 hours.

The feature has begun rolling out globally to all WhatsApp users on Android, iPhone, and Windows Phone.

WhatsApp, on its blog post, claims the move is a gift to its users for its eighth birthday, noting it was time to update the status feature. However, we all know what’s going on here.

Massive users

Facebook’s move is clearly geared towards stunting Snapchat’s growth.

The numbers support Facebook’s decision to clone the feature. In less than six months, the number of people using Instagram stories daily quickly rose to 150 million, closing in on Snapchat’s 158 million daily active users.

Snapchat, who’s Initial Public Offering is scheduled on March 2nd, now has another app to worry about.

[irp posts=”11261" name=”The LG G6 camera features are built for Instagram”]

Google is under investigation for abusing Android

Google has often been accused of monopolizing the smartphone market with the use of Android. While Android as an operating system is open source and anyone is free to make or use the system however they wish, Google’s push of its apps is a bigger problem.

Android is maintained by the search engine giant and the code is available for everyone’s use. But, Google pushes its range of apps in stock Android like Gmail, Maps, Play Music, YouTube, and more. Many accuse the company of forcing itself upon users and blocking the competition from a fair chance.

India’s Competition Commission of India (CCI) has been reviewing Google’s case for the last six months. The enforcement agency is currently at a preliminary stage and no official release has been made. Google, as well as CCI, have declined to comment.

The European Commission found Google guilty of dominating the market since 2011 and it’s abusing its standard practice of installing Google apps. The investigation led to a US$ 5 billion fine from the antitrust agency.

Google and CCI have met in recent months and the complaint was filled by a “group of individuals.” The agency has a track record of taking years to finish or conclude a case and we never know when a verdict might actually come.

Android has a massive 85 percent market share and almost every Android phone ships with Google’s suite of apps. These apps, in return, help the search engine push ads to the user and generate revenue for the company.

EA is looking into making a mobile version of Apex Legends

EA‘s battle royale game is a certified hit. Apex Legends, which was developed by Titanfall makers Respawn, has no fewer than 25 million registered players in just one week. The game is playable for free on multiple platforms (PC, PS4, and Xbox One), but why not make it available on mobile as well?

Early reports don’t indicate mobile plans for the game, although during the Electronic Arts Q3 2019 earnings call, EA Games CEO said that they are looking into bringing Apex Legends to mobile devices.

Fortnite‘s userbase ballooned when it became available on Android and iOS, so it’s a no brainer than EA also wants mobile gamers to join the fun.

“We are looking at how to take the game to mobile and cross-play over time, and I also expect that this game will have tremendous value in Asia, and we’re in conversations about that,” EA Games CEO Andrew Wilson said during the conference call.

There’s no definite timeline for the release of Apex Legends on mobile, but it’s certainly on the drawing board. For now, EA plans to introduce direct purchase options for players to buy items and new legends or heroes. They will also offer the so-called Apex Packs or simply loot boxes for more random items.

Apex Legends is not a pay-to-win game, so these items are purely cosmetic and can be used to customize your hero’s looks in the game.

Introducing Bumble’s Spotlight: Pay to get to the top of the page

You can’t buy your way to true love but you can now buy a top spot on Bumble’s swipe page.

You heard that right. Bumble just announcedtheir new feature and they’re calling it Spotlight. For two Bumble coins, which is around US$ 2, you can get your own profile to the top of the swipe page — the most conducive spot for swiping. Your profile stays there for 30 minutes and people won’t even know you paid for the extra airtime.

Hi Martin! Spotlight is designed to advance your profile to the top for the stack to be viewable by more people instantly. When you use two Bumble Coins to activate Spotlight, for 30 minutes we will shuffle your profile to the top without anyone knowing. 💛

Similar to Tinder Boost, this new feature allows for a bigger shot at better swiping results. It basically bumps you up in the queue. Remember, though, that you can only pay for being more visible on the app, but the swiping is still left to the other party.